


Preliminary Data Collection

by TinCanTelephone



Series: The Experiment [6]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: (emphasis on cute), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bedtime Stories, F/M, Family Feels, First Kiss, Fluff, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:28:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28113906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinCanTelephone/pseuds/TinCanTelephone
Summary: Jyn tells her daughter the story of how she and Cassian first met.
Relationships: Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso
Series: The Experiment [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1052582
Comments: 7
Kudos: 67





	Preliminary Data Collection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marcasite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marcasite/gifts).



> So I thought for sure this series was over but surprise!!! @leaiorganas gave me a kiss prompt that was just perfect!! Besides, I'm sure y'all were wondering how Jyn & Cassian met in this 'verse! (Although for the record- you shouldn't have to go back and read the whole 'verse to understand this fic.) 
> 
> The prompt: “I’m sorry, are you sure you–”

Jyn kneels in front of Mira’s bookshelf. “Okay Baby, what kind of bedtime story do you want to hear tonight? Where did you put Frog and Toad? Or Eloise?”

Mira wrinkles her nose. “Those are for babies. I put them in ‘Malia’s room.”

“Okay.” Jyn tries to remember what Cassian talked about reading to their oldest. She doesn’t usually do bedtime, but he’s working late this week and it’s her turn to step up. “What about Charlotte’s Web? Wasn’t Papa reading that to you?”

“We already finished that a whole week ago.” Mira crosses her arms. “Tell the story of you meeting Papa.”

“What? Why?” 

“I asked Papa once and he said to ask you.” 

Jyn sighs and rejoins Mira on her bed. “Did he say why?”

“He said you would tell it better.” 

“Did he now,” Jyn says, settling herself against the headboard with Mira under her arm. Cassian would say that– he always says her side of the story is more entertaining. And she’d debate that if she could, but he’s not here right now, and Mira is giving her best _Please, Mama??_ eyes. 

So she gives in. “Alright, Honey. You know how Mama works on computers?”

“Yes!” Mira’s eyes light up in victory and she wiggles against Jyn’s side. 

“Well, a long time ago, I was a…” She pauses, still not sure how to describe her former profession to children.

“Uncle Han says you wore a white hat!” Mira says. 

Jyn winces. _Fucking Solo._ “Well, what he means is that I used to use computers to… try to look into other computers. And then I would… tell the owners of those computers how to protect themselves when bad people tried to do that.” 

Certainly not her best definition of white hat hacking, but Mira seems to find the explanation acceptable. 

“And one time after I did that, a newspaper wanted to talk to me.”

* * *

“Hey,” Jyn leaned over the wall of the empty cubicle to the next closest person. “I’m supposed to meet a _Kes Dameron_? Do you know where the fuck he went?” 

The man spun around in his swivel chair, and while her first instinct was to sneer at his neatly pressed white shirt and product-slicked hair, she found herself trying not to gape at his sharp, unfairly handsome face. 

“I’m sorry,” he said in a low, smooth voice. “He must be running late. Allow me to show you a place where you can wait.”

Jyn shrugged and followed him to a small kitchenette. He gestured for her to sit at the table, so she did, drumming her fingers on the scratched faux wood and waiting for him to leave. 

“Would you like some coffee?” he said, indicating a machine on the counter. 

“Uhh… sure.” She slid her laptop out of her shoulder bag and opened her command line, if only to give her fingers something to do. Fuck, why was this guy was making her nervous? 

He sat down across from her with two stained mugs, pushing one across the table. “Can I ask what brings you to the _Yavin Times_?” 

“This Dameron guy’s supposed to interview me about the Empire Industries data breach.” 

“I see.” He watched her carefully for a little while, eyeing her fingers on her laptop keyboard. “Were you the one that did it?”

She looked sharply at him. “Why would you think I did it?” 

He shrugged. “It seems like it’s within your abilities. And I’m pretty sure this conversation is the only thing keeping you from hacking Kes’s email in return for his lateness.” 

She closed her mouth with a snap. 

“But there he is– told you he’d be here soon.” He pointed over her shoulder. 

Jyn turned around to see another man coming around the corner, walking quickly and looking harried. He met her eyes and waved at her to follow him, but when she turned back to the first man to thank him for the coffee he was gone. 

“Kes Dameron.” He held out his hand. “So sorry for making you wait. Please, in here.” He led her to an empty conference room. 

“It’s alright.” She held up her cup. “Your, uh, friend got me a coffee.”

Dameron raised an eyebrow. “Cassian?”

“I didn’t get his name.” Jyn put her bag on the table and sat down. “Friendly office.” 

“…Right.” He sat down across from her and pulled out a notebook and tape recorder. 

Neither of them mentioned Cassian or the coffee again, but more than once Jyn caught Dameron glancing at the empty cup. 

After a late start, the interview went long, and it was half past five by the time they wrapped up. 

“Sorry if I kept you,” Jyn said as she gathered her things.

“No problem.” Dameron turned off the tape recorder and folded his notebook. “I’m just meeting my wife and some friends at the bar down the street.”

“Sounds fun.” 

“You’re welcome to join us, if you don’t have any plans.” 

She paused, considering her options. Dinner and drinks at a bar sounded way better than a TV dinner and $5 wine alone in her apartment. Although she wasn’t sure about socializing with a bunch of journalists. 

“Cassian’ll be there, too.” 

She looked up sharply. “Why would I care about that?”

Kes shrugged. “You probably wouldn’t. But Andor got you coffee, and normally he doesn’t give strangers the time of day.”

Jyn frowned, turning this over in her mind. Kes wasn’t slick, this was clearly a set-up, and she resented having to pretend she didn’t see it. 

However, Cassian (Andor?)’s face was _very_ handsome. She shouldered her bag and turned around. “I’m not busy.” 

Kes grinned. “Great! I’ll walk you over.”

* * *

“That’s so boring!” Mira says. 

Jyn raises an eyebrow. “Well, how do you think the story should go?”

“I think you should be spies trying to save the world who meet on a mission to save a princess!” 

_What?_ Why did Cassian think she could tell this story better? “Sorry, Sweetie, I guess we’re kind of boring people.” She leans down to kiss her temple. 

“What about the first time Papa kissed you?” 

She pauses mid-way. “Actually, I kissed Papa first.” 

“Really?” 

* * *

Two and a half beers into the evening, Jyn couldn’t bring herself to begrudge Kes Dameron for the awkward set-up. She wasn’t generally an expert on _vibes_ , but even she could tell Cassian was more than mildly interested. 

It was the way he _looked_ at her, she decided. An intense, focused gaze that said he cared about what she was saying, and listened closely to every word. 

Tossing back the rest of her stout, she volunteered to get the next round, smirking when Cassian got up to help her. 

The bar was significantly more crowded than when they arrived, and they loitered at the bar waiting for service, pressed close together by the evening rush. 

Cassian looked nervous for the first time since she’d met him, avoiding her eyes and fiddling with the collar of his shirt. A stray lock of hair had come loose from the gel and was hanging over his forehead, bouncing every time he shifted his weight. 

“So– Jyn, I was thinking–”

Alcohol thrumming through her veins, Jyn threw caution to the wind and reached her hand behind his neck to pull him down for a kiss. The thrill of it was _amazing_ – and for a few seconds she enjoyed it, before abruptly coming back to herself and pulling away. “I’m sorry, are you sure–?”

She didn’t get a chance to finish before he kissed her back.

They were very late returning with the next round. 

* * *

Mira sighs. “That’s also boring.” 

Jyn shrugs. “I didn’t think so at the time.”

“Well it is.” Mira leans back onto her pillow with an air of mournful resignation. “We should’ve kept reading _Stuart Little_.” 

“Tomorrow night, then.” Jyn tucks the blankets around Mira’s shoulders and turns out the light. 

“I still think you should’ve kissed in the tower after saving the princess,” she says. 

"Goodnight, Mira.” Jyn leans down to kiss her temple. “Maybe tonight you’ll have a more exciting dream.” 

Mira seems to enjoy this prospect, but as Jyn slips out of her room sees Cassian at the top of the stairs, pulling off his tie and looking tired but relaxed and happy to see her, she thinks she quite likes this ‘boring’ life.

**Author's Note:**

> [Original Tumblr Post](https://cats-and-metersticks.tumblr.com/post/628859063834378240/hiya-those-kiss-prompts-are-amazing-all-of-them)
> 
> I'm still on tumblr- although admittedly I post more about Avatar: The Last Airbender than Rogue One these days– as [cats-and-metersticks](https://cats-and-metersticks.tumblr.com/)


End file.
